Full Notification

On May 29, 2018, at about 4:00 PM Anderson Police Officers were dispatched to the Anderson Walmart, located at 5000 Rhonda Rd. for a report of a bomb threat.

Walmart management contacted SHASCOM dispatch to report receiving a phone call from a male who indicated a “bomb” was inside the store and that it would “blow up”.

Officers responded to the scene and met with store management and the employee who received the phone call. It was determined to be in the best interest of public safety to evacuate the store and surrounding businesses until further investigation could be completed.

Store shoppers and employees were escorted off the property a safe distance away from the business.

Officers conducted a safety sweep of the store with management, checking all parts of the store for any type of suspicious device. No devices were located and nothing seemed out of place at the business.

Once the property was determined to be safe, employees and customers were allowed back into the business.

A further investigation into the original call revealed the threatening caller sounded like a younger, possibly teenage male, who would not provide his name, the type of device, the location of the device, or a reason he would want to detonate a bomb.

A criminal investigation has been initiated. This will include the service of search warrants for phone records to determine the identity of the caller for criminal prosecution. Additionally, security measures have been put in place at the store for immediate call tracking.

The Anderson Police Department would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance in making this incident a safe and efficient operation: Anderson Fire Prevention District, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Anderson Public Works, and SHASCOM dispatch.